


Kid, It’s Me! It’s The Old Man!

by HMSquared



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Apex Games, Canon Dialogue, Crying, Depression, Hugs, Mirage | Elliott Witt Needs a Hug, Mirage | Elliott Witt is a Mess, Multi, Post-Canon, Sad Mirage | Elliott Witt, Suicide Attempt, can be read as platonic or romantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:21:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24225781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HMSquared/pseuds/HMSquared
Summary: Crypto’s not too fond of emotions. Then Mirage opens up to him, changing everything.
Relationships: Crypto | Park Tae Joon & Mirage | Elliott Witt, Crypto | Park Tae Joon/Mirage | Elliott Witt
Kudos: 48





	Kid, It’s Me! It’s The Old Man!

**Author's Note:**

> I find it ironic that Crypto calls Mirage “old man” considering he’s actually older.
> 
> Enjoy!

For Mirage, the day was a blur. The Games were a formality at this point; everything had become muscle memory. For him, the most important thing today was one-upping Crypto.

The new guy was mysterious. He didn’t talk much, his face a permanent glare. But he was also a very good shooter, and Mirage felt the need to get more eliminations then him.

Lifeline was off doing her own thing, letting “the boys” sort their mess out. Mirage had ten eliminations so far, Crypto seven. Now the trickster found himself repelling down to the train, hoping to score a few extra points.

Pathfinder and Wraith were hunched over a supply bin, scouring for loot. He respected them both, but points were points. Crouching so they wouldn’t hear him, Mirage prepared to fire.

“Here comes ten and eleven,” he muttered under his breath. Suddenly, there was a loud thwack; Crypto had snuck over from the other side and taken them out. Standing up, Mirage shouted, “Hey, those were mine!”

Crypto looked at him. There was a strange expression on his face; wavering confusion, almost. Then he smiled, something Mirage had never seen before.

The hacker was wielding the L-Star, a new weapon crafted for Season 3. Raising it, Crypto pressed down on the trigger. An orange beam shot out of it and landed on Mirage’s chest, not quite piercing his clothing. He was still smiling.

“Woah!” Mirage stuttered, panic racing through him. “Kid, it’s me! It’s the old man!” Giving a small nod, Crypto pulled the trigger and tilted his aim to the left. The beam grazed the trickster’s shoulder as it struck an approaching Caustic. He fell with an unceremonious thump, returning them to silence.

Before either one of them could speak, there was a loud rushing noise. Looking up, Crypto saw Bangalore’s Air Strike screaming toward them. Eyes widening, he rushed toward Mirage, who was frozen in shock.

“I thought you were going to kill me!” The danger they were suddenly in wasn’t reaching the trickster’s brain. Crypto dove forward as the first rocket exploded, intending to throw them both off the train.

“Don’t be an idiot.” With a swift tackle they fell, careening toward soft ground. The rockets were so close they could feel the flames.

“I’m not an idiot!” Mirage whined as he prepared for the crash. Crypto said nothing, returning to his stoic self. They hit the ground with a loud thump, wincing and possessing no injuries besides headaches.

The grass under the tracks was comforting. Laying back, Mirage looked upward and sighed. Something was bugging him.

“Are you alright?” Crypto glanced over, gripping the L-Star in his hands. The trickster wasn’t sure how to answer.

“Boys!” They looked up; Lifeline was sprinting towards them. “Only one more minute till the ring closes!” Crypto rose to his feet and adjusted his jacket. Muttering something under his breath, Mirage stood up as well and followed them down the hill.

They won, eliminating Wattson by the skin of their teeth. As the ring fell and the cameras flew away, Mirage took another look around. He was buzzing, but not from being an Apex Champion.

In between games, the Legends quartered on retired supply ships. That was how Mirage found himself slowly walking back, shuffling his feet in the dirt. Something still didn’t feel right.

It wasn’t actually that late out, the sun still overhead. As everyone else headed to their quarters, the trickster stopped. His heart was pounding and he felt uneasy. The two halves of his brain were fighting like hell.

Off in one of the ships, Crypto was getting a glass of water. Looking out the window, he saw Mirage walking back toward the arena, one hand on his thigh.

The arena wasn’t actually that hard to break into, considering its location on an island in the middle of nowhere. For once, Mirage appreciated the shuttle’s autopilot and the simplicity of it. Now he found himself walking back toward the train tracks, thinking.

There were so many things he hadn’t put in order. His dad was absent, his mother memoryless. Mirage had more than simple pocket change, and somehow he didn’t care what happened to it. Maybe his therapist would get a pay raise; she certainly deserved it.

That quiet spot under the tracks was calling to him. Mirage effortlessly retraced his steps, numbing by the second. The emptiness in his body had finally taken control.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a Wingman. It wasn’t used for the games, obviously; Mirage had bought it simply because he liked the weapon. Now it would be his end.

“What are you doing here, Mirage?” Crypto’s voice. The trickster rubbed his thumb over the Wingman, not sure how to respond.

“You know, just reliving my victory.”

“불시 중지.” Crypto wasn’t a swearer, but he was tired of Mirage’s sarcasm. The trickster didn’t acknowledge his sharp tongue, instead turning to face him.

“Are you happy? You got more eliminations. Good job.”

“Funny. You’re describing yourself.” Crypto tilted his head to the side, eyes narrow. “Why are you here? To get an advantage for next time?”

“There’s not going to be a next time.” Mirage looked back down at his sidearm, thinking. “Not for me, anyway.”

“Tired of the Games?”

“Tired of everything.” The trickster chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m just…” He shook his head, the selfishness in him kicking in.

“You’re just  _ what _ ?”

“Why did you save me?” Mirage was suddenly angry, glaring at Crypto. “On the train, why did you save me from those bombs? Why…” He trailed off, biting his tongue. “Why didn’t you shoot me?”

“Because you didn’t deserve it, as annoying as you are.”

“Of course I deserve it!” Mirage was near tears now, shaking. “I deserve to not be here, I deserve to not make people happy! But no matter what I do, I’M STILL ALIVE!” Silence filled the air. Crypto watched him, very unsure what would happen next. He looked at the ground, quietly crying.

“I wish you had killed me.” Those were the next words out of Elliot Witt’s mouth. He suddenly sounded small, and he felt just as worthless.

The trickster’s left hand, the one holding his pistol, was shaking. Swallowing, he slowly rose it toward his chin. Crypto’s eyes widened, shifting his weight so he was just a smidge closer.

“I guess you’ll be better than me now. Good luck.” A tear fell down Mirage’s cheek.

Crypto suddenly tackled him into the grass, the gun flying out of his hand. They were so unbelievably close you could call it awkward. For a few seconds, no one moved.

“Why did you do that?!” Mirage sat up, shaking like a leaf. “Why did you do that?!” Crypto latched onto him, the trickster kicking and screaming. The Wingman remained discarded, far enough away that neither of them could dive for it.

“Stop shaking.” Crypto’s words were blunt, yet somehow comforting. Mirage shuttered in his arms, a harsh sob escaping him. He buried his face in the hacker’s jacket, crying harder than ever.

They remained under the tracks until the sun came up, Crypto holding Mirage in his arms. Neither of them acknowledged how close they were. It didn’t matter. What mattered was getting Elliot more therapy.


End file.
